In this moment of urgency and crisis, it's critical that the federal government step up first and foremost to address the needs of the families that are most impacted.

We can't let the government response to this emergency be simply bailing out powerful and well-connected industries while working families and small businesses are crushed.

It's early but we've had some successes. Elizabeth Warren and I called for a nationwide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development just agreed to do that for the properties they control -- protecting some 8 million families.

When it comes a stimulus package, my priorities are these:

1. We must prioritize helping working families and small businesses weather this storm, not help the wealthy and well-connected.
2. We must ensure that no one is in danger of losing basic utilities--power, water, telecommunications, and broadband.
3. If we do provide help to major corporations, we must demand good behavior in return: paid sick leave, no stock buybacks, maintain payrolls.
4. We must do everything we can to support our health care system and our medical first responders.

This crisis demands that we set aside partisanship and do what's best for the American people. I'm pushing with everything I've got to get that done.

Stay tuned. More later.

Jeff

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Paid for by Jeff Merkley for Oregon.